Burn ban ordered in unincorporated Bexar

By Eva Ruth Moravec :
August 21, 2013

Despite Wednesday's drizzle, conditions in Bexar County are dry and ripe for wildfires to spread, prompting commissioners to ban outdoor burning in unincorporated parts of the county for 90 days.

Commissioners voted on Tuesday to enact the ban which — unless lifted by the fire marshal — expires on Nov. 19. The ban prohibits burning except when it's done in a burn barrel covered by a wire mesh screen. Currently, the county is scored toward the high range of the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, or between 700 and 800, which represents absolutely dry conditions.

Violators of the ban face a charge of a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine no more than $500.

The last Bexar County burn ban was enacted on March 26 and was lifted in early June, weeks before it was set to expire.